Civic groups yesterday urged the Department of Health (DOH) to explain why an amendment was made to the Standard of Safety Tolerance of Nuclear Fallout or Radioactivity Contamination for Food (食品中原子塵或放射能污染安全容許量標準) that allowed for higher levels of Cesium-134 (Cs-134) and Cesium-137 (Cs-137) to be permitted in food.
The DOH promulgated the amended regulation on June 27, saying that after accessing comprehensive scientific research data from around the world in recent years the current safety standards were considered to be outdated, allowing for the revision.
Although the revised safety tolerance limit of two particular radioactive isotopes — Cs-134 and Cs-137 — was reduced in dairy products and baby food from 370 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg) to 200Bq/kg, the safety level for other foods was increased from 370Bq/kg to 600Bq/kg, in the amended rules. In addition, the original safety tolerance limit of exposure to Iodine-131 (I-131) in dairy products and baby food remained unchanged at 55Bq/kg, while the limit for other foods dropped from the original level of 300Bq/kg to 100Bq/kg.
The amended rule also added new limits to seven new radioactive nuclides including strontium-89, ruthenium-103 and americium-241.
The promulgation said that because the scale of a nuclear disaster and the resultant food contamination levels could not be predicted, the authority may enact a provisional standard according to reassessment of the actual situation should an atomic accident occur in Taiwan.
A precursory 60-day public comment period ends on Aug. 29.
The Wild at Heart Legal Defense Foundation yesterday demanded zero-tolerance for infant food, saying safety tolerance levels for other foods should not be increased. It also encouraged the public to write e-mails or call the DOH to express their concerns on the issue.
On Monday, the Taipei Bar Association held a symposium on the issue during which a professor of public health questioned the loosening of restrictions and urged the country to follow Japan’s strict standards where the safety tolerance level for Cs-134 and Cs-137 were set at 100Bq/kg in April.
DOH Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials did not attend the symposium.
A statement posted on the FDA Web site said the revision of standard levels for the seven radioactive nuclides makes the regulations more complete and that Cs-134 and Cs-137 safety tolerance levels were made using international evaluation models
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it